Valve



Dec. 3, `1929. v w, T, CNES 1,738,248

VALVE Filed Sept. 17. 1928 lil Patented Dec. 3, 1929 Win24@ 'rer rrieu WILLIAIW T. JONES, 0F NE'WTNVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, AFJSIGNOR T0 Bd' MES c JONES, .A CQPARTIIERSHP Ghl'ElISTNGr O1*1 'WALTER E. Bditll'llil, OF VIELELEELEY, T/lAESACHUSETTS, AND WILLIAM JONES, OF NEY'TNVILLE, llAitll-lrllllii VALVE Application led September 17, 192?.

llhis invention relates to automatic valves tor controlling -liuids under pressure and pertains more particularly to improvements in the construction ot thermostatic valves adapted automatically to regulate the tloiv oi fluids subi ect to temperature or pressure variations, Yfor example outlet valves for steam radiators.

Ars more fully described in the copendinnl application oi Charles F. Ferne-ith Serial No. 306,336, tiled September l?, 1928, it is highly desirable to provide tor ready removal and replacement (for repairs, removal or the like) oi' the valve actuating clement, usually metallic sealed bellows or the like which responds to temperature or pressure variation, but at the saine time to insure accurate setting of the parts When the actuating; ele-- ment is returned to its place. nos disclosed in the aforesaid application the actimtiinielement is removably held in position but Without substantial possibility of error in adjustment by means of a plug setting into a snap socket in the valve cover. rlfhis arrangement is in general highly desirable as fully meeting the above-mentioned requirements but since it holds the valve actuating device and the valve carried thereby rigidly, it tails to provide tor slight inaccuracies in machining; the valve casini;` or for the minute variations in shape or position ot the parts due to temperature and pressure changes so that under some conditions the valve may not set as accurately as desired.

lin accordance with the present invention ll have provided an improvement upon structure ot the aforesaid application by so inodiityingithe construction as, While still retaining all ot the advantages ot the device set 'forth in said apjilication, to permit the valve accurately to center itself relatively to its seat in spite oit any such inaccuracies In shape or position as may occur. To this end l provide a plug and socket so relatively shaped as to permit the actuatingl element With the valve to swing` about their point of support but ivithout a'l'lectinp; the accuracy ot initial adjustment. For this purpose l preferably provide a plugr oi spherical contour, the socket5 it desired, being` substan- (Fig. 2) having screw threaded e Serial N0. 636,392.

tially cylindrical and of such depth that when the plug is in proper position it hears against the inner Wall oi the soclteta beine; held in this position by a snap rino; seated in a recess in the socket Wall or by other and equivalent retaining means.

Recommended embodiments oi the invention, 'designed particularly ior use in connection with the trap or outlet ot a steam radiator, are shown for the purpose oi illustri.- tion in the accompanying oravving's, in Which,

Fig. l is a vertical section through an out let valve embodying the aforesaid improvement;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustratingir a modi'- fied structure; A

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the assembled actuating element shown in l and 2;

Fig. t is a detail plan view of a spring ring' forming part of the snap attachment; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional. view illusn trating an optional construction.

The improved valve preferably comprises the usual casing` 6 which may be ot cast iron or other suitable material having); the inlet connection 7 and the outlet connection tl; a removable duid-tight cover 9 (Fig. l) or l() gement with casing 6, thereby providing a chamber l1 communicating with the inlet l', and, through a valve port l2, With the outlet 8; an automatic actuating` or controlling clement consisting, for example, oi one or more expansible metal cells lei, and carryi 1 the valve 15 properly shaped to cooperate 1uit i valve seat 1G to close the port l2; and means for attaching the actuating; element to and suspending it from the casing cover in operative relationship.

As the principal features oi this invention reside in the construction and arrangement ot the said attachingv means, the precise construction ot the controlling` element is not essential. Any customary type automatic valve controlling device may he einployoch and the valve-carrying thermostatic member comprising the circular expansible cells ist adapted to contain an expansible or volatile lli CII

fluid such as alcohol and having customary round-surfaced, preferably ball-shaped, knob 17 is rigidly connected to the actuating elev ment and is adapted to'lit withina recessior socket formedin the cover and tobeJreta-ined therein bymeans" of. a'. cooperating resilient locking member, suchfas a resilient split ring 18. The knob 17 may be rigidly attached to the actuating element bythreading itupon an upstanding spin'dle19fforming part of said elementi and securing itA by a throughpin 20 or other suitable means;

The socket for receiving the knob 17 and the lockingspring" for securing the knob within the socket in the manner of a snap fastening, may tak'evarlious"forms. For eX- ample, in' Fig; l-,the socket 21vv is formed in the body of the cover 9 and has an annular groove or-I recess' 22 adaptedto house the spring ring 18; and a retainer ring 23 has screw threaded? engagement with the mouth of said'socket, removably'to holdthe ring 18 loosely iny its socket. When snapped` into place-byexpandingv the ring` 18,- the ball 17 abuts against the end wall of the socket and is secured iny such position bythe engagement of the automatically'contracted split' ring so that axial movement ofthe actuating element is effectively prevented. v

In the modification shown" in Fig. 2 the top portion ofthe cover mayhave a dished recess 24 constituting 'the inner end of a socket 25 formed by the inner wall of the retainerring 26 which is screw threaded within the cover 10. Said'retainer ringhas an annular shoulderl 27 to support the split ring 18 and a spacer ring 28'is provided between 'thering 18 and the dishedend 2Liofthe socket to hold ring 18 in proper position with respect tothe ball 17. Said ball is snappedinto' pl'ace and is engaged by the ringvas in Fig; 1. y

As indicated in the modification of Fig. 5, the compressible split ring 18 may be suitably carried within a circumferential groove 29 Y in the ball 30 and the side wall of the cover socketl may have' a shallow'groove 32 which tapersV in diameter asat 33, to receive the expanded locking ring 18 aftery the ball has been ball knob of the actuating element may beV attached to the cover by Vsnapping itinto the cover socket with a single motion, and when so attached the position of the actuating element with respect to the cover and the valve port is fixed in adjusted position ,nevertheless the ball may be rotated slightly in the socket so as to permit universal swinging movement of the actuating element and valve whereby proper seating ofthe valve 15 over port 12 is assured. There is no scren7 threaded or other adjustable connection between the actuating element and the valve easing. The con` trolling element may be readily detached from the cover by pulling the ball from its socket, thereby expanding the split ring in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2, or compressing it in the optional design of Fig. 5. The assembled actuating element may accordingly be interchanged for a new unit at any time without aifecting the adjusted relation of the parts.

When used in connection with the outlet of a steam radiator, the inlet 7 of the valve casing is attached to the outlet of the radi ator, and the outlet 8 is connected to the return pipe. Before steam is turned on, the actuating element and its rigidly connected valve 15 occupies the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cells 14 being contracted and thereby holding the valve 15 oil' its seat 1G.

The steam is then free to enter the radiator driving out any air or water through the inlet connection 7, through the chamber 1l, and thence outwardly through the port 12 and outlet 8. When the radiator has filled with steam so that hot steam enters the chamber 11, the expansible fluid within the cells 14 is warmed and expands, thus expanding the cells 1a and forcing the valve 15 against seat 16, closing the passage 12. rlfhe valve 15 rcmains closed until water of condensation or air has collected in the chamber 11 sufiiciently to cool the cells 1&1, whereupon they again contract, opening the valve 15 and allowing the water of condensation and entrapped air to escape.

The proper adjust-ment of the valve is affected by regulation of the actuating element before assemblage, so that the relative dispositions of the valve parts after the actuating element is snapped into position in the cover socket is fixed and there is no occasion for adjustment during installation or use. lf the valve should fail properly to function at any time during use, a new assembled and adjusted unit may be exchanged as aforesaid.

A valveconstructed in the manner above described is economical to n'ianufacture, easy to install or replace, durable and eiiicient in use, and substantially fool-proof. Such a valve is adapted to a variety of uses and it will be understood that details of structure may be varied for particular purposes withoutl departing from the spirit of this invention as defined in the following claims l claim:

l. A valve structure comprising a casing having a valve seat, a removable cover having fluid-tight engagement with the casing, said cover having a socket, a spring member associated with said socket, a valve cooperable With the valve seat, and an actuating element lor the valve, said actuating element having a knob adapted to seat Within the socket and to be held therein by the spring, thereby 'to hold the actuating element and its valve in adjusted position with respect to the valve seat, said knob and socket being so shaped as to permit the valve to move freely to center itseli' on its seat.

f2. il valve structure comprising a casing having a valve seat, a removable cover having fluid-tight engagement with the casing and disposed opposit said seat, an actuating ele* ment having a valve lixed thereto and cooperable with the valve seat, said cover having a socket, a knob secured to the actuating element and adapted to seat in the socket, and a spring member engaging the socket and the knob, when the knob is received Within the socket, thereby removably to retain the knob Within the socket and to hold the actuating element and its valve in adjustable position with respect to the valve seat, the knob and socket being so shaped as to permit universal swinging movement of the actuator and valve.

8. A valve structure comprising a casing having a valve seat, a removable cover having iluid-tight engagement with the casing, an actuatingl element Within the casing, a valve lixed to the actuating element and cooperable With said seat, a substantially spherical knob fixed to said element, said cover having a socket adapted to receive said knob, and a spring ring engaging the socket and knob, when the knob is received Within the socket, and adapted resiliently to hold the knob against the end Wall of the socket, thereby removably to retain the parts together in adjusted relationship and to allon7 slight rotation ol the knob Within the socket.

l. i-i valve structure comprising a casing having a valve seat, a removable cover having fluid-tight engagement with the casing and disposed opposite said seat, an actuating element Within the casing and having its axis substantially in line With the axis of said seat, a valve [ixed axially to said element and cooperable with said valve seat, a ball fixed to said element at the opposite end of its axis, a socket in the cover receiving the ball, the Wall o said socket having an annular groove, and a spring ring loosely carried in said groove and resiliently engaging said ball, thereby removably to retain the ball Within the socket and to hold the actuating element and its valve in adjusted position With respect to the valve seat.

5. A valve structure comprising a casing having a valve seat, a removable cover having fluid-tight engagement with the casing and disposed opposite said seat, an actuating element Within the casing and having its axis substantially in line With the axis of said seat, a valve fixed axially to said element and cooperable with said valve seat, a ball fixed to said element at the opposite end of its axis, a socket in the cover receiving the ball, the vvall of said socket having an annular groove, and a spring ring loosely carried in said groove and resiliently engaging said ball, thereby removably to retain the ball Within the socket and to hold the actuating element and its valve in adjusted position With respect to the valve seat, and a retainer ring having screw threaded engagement With the mouth of said socket for removably holding said ring in said groove. Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this eleventh day of September, 1928.

WILLIAM T. J ONES. 

